India's next footballing face dreams of playing for Manchester United some day and represent India at the international stage

Krish Sharma was just another teenager who wanted a career in sports, like many others. His dream came closer to reality with his selection to train with the Sacavenese club, U-17 Division in Portugal. This changed things for the sixteen-year-old and brought him some much deserved lime light. Having impressed the scouts with his talent, the budding football face for India has also been offered to play for Colorodo Rush soccer club in Denver.

Krish has previously played in several district level tournaments, and now he plays for Steadfast Football Club in Mumbai. He came back from Portugal in consideration for his studies back home. The club, through their various brands such as Dare to Dream and Let’s Play has been trying to set up a partnership with the Indian Super League (ISL). Krish has won the most valuable player award two times in a row for his school team, which he considers among his highest points in life.

“I was introduced to football when I was about 5. My parents used to send me for practice and I just began to fall in love with the sport gradually,” the delightful sixteen-year-old, who also has a flair for music, said when asked about his introduction to football.

The Mumbai teen doesn’t exactly remember when he played his first major match but he does remember representing his school in the MSSA league for the first time when he was in the fourth grade.

Krish training at Portugal

Hopeful about the changing scenario of football in India, Krish said, “with the introduction of the ISL, I’ve noticed many people have started playing football around India and it has become more popular. Currently, I feel that in India people have started taking football more seriously.”

India’s prospects in World Football

Talking about India’s place in football at the world stage the budding footballer said, “Recently the Indian football team’s ranking has fallen. India is not known for football and there are very few Indians who play for a club abroad. However, the introduction of ISL has opened more opportunities for the Indians. The ISL plays a huge role for India making a name for itself in football. Foreign players are being brought to play in this league, which is making it recognizable around the world. The competition is increasing among the youngsters as more number of people are pushing for a place to become a footballing professional. I believe that in a couple of years India can be better known for football.”

Krish has been fortunate to play football in one of the more advanced footballing countries of the world. “The footballing attitude there is very different from that in India. When I went to Portugal I noticed how each and every player was giving it their 100% and the intensity was always high.” he said when asked about how different their football was from ours.

The sixteen-year-old believes that a sportsperson needs to be disciplined and put his cent person besides maintaining a fit body to be successful. To be recognized among the ranks, he said, “Firstly the player has to be part of a club and play several tournaments. If the player is excelling, he will catch the eye of some of the scouts. A player can also go for the selections of youth clubs such as Mumbai city FC and if he is good enough, he might get selected.”

With Wayne Rooney as his idol and Manchester United his dream club, Krish Sharma has been working hard to make a name for himself in the world. Talking about his life as a budding sportster, Krish said, “I’m at a stage in life where I am very high on aspiration and obviously being a ‘superstar’ is a goal for me. All I’ve been doing so far is putting in the effort and hoping for the best, and all this never fails to be stressful and enervating. However, the excitement and joy always manages to outdo this.” We hope he has good luck in realizing his potential.